ALBEMARLE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL SERVICES
401 McINTIRE ROAD, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA 22902
(434) 296-5885
ELIGIBILITY SUMMARY ADDENDUM
FOR IDENTIFICATION OF AUTISM
Student Name
Date
DEFINITION
"Autism" means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction,
generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Other characteristics often associated
with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in
daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. Autism does not apply if a child's educational performance is
adversely affected primarily because the child has an emotional disturbance. A child who manifests the characteristics of autism
after age three could be identified as having autism if the criteria in this definition are satisfied. (34 CFR 300.8(c)(1))
Children with Asperger's Disorder demonstrate the following characteristics:
(1) Impairments in social interaction, such as marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-toeye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction; failure to develop peer relationships
appropriate to developmental level; a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with
other people (i.e., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest); or lack of social or emotional
reciprocity are noted; and
(2) Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities such as encompassing preoccupation
with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus, apparently
inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals, stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms,
persistent preoccupation with parts of objects.
Children with autistic disorder, in addition to the characteristics listed above in (1) and (2) of this subsection, also demonstrate
impairments in communication, such as delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an
attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime). In individuals with adequate
speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others, stereotyped and repetitive use of
language or idiosyncratic language, or lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to
developmental level is noted.
Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified or Atypical Autism may display any of the
characteristics listed in subdivisions (1), (2) and in the section above of this subsection without displaying all of the characteristics
associated with either Asperger's Disorder or Autistic Disorder.
CRITERIA
A student with autism who requires special education must meet ALL of the following criteria. For each criterion the
committee must indicate “Yes” or “No” and provide additional information as appropriate. At any point, should the
response be “No”, the child is ineligible as a student under this classification. It is appropriate to move to the end of
the document and indicate “ineligible” without having to consider any subsequent criteria.
I.
II.
The child has any of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, also referenced as
autism spectrum disorder, such as Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Disorder,
Rhett's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Pervasive Developmental
Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified including Atypical Autism as indicated
in diagnostic references.
The committee must state the disorder:
Emotional disability can be ruled out as the primary cause of
adverse impact to educational performance.
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Yes
No
Yes
No
III.
There is an adverse effect on the child's educational performance due to
documented characteristics of autism.
Yes
No
The committee must describe the adverse impact on the student’s educational performance
that is directly related to the characteristics of Autism. Please cite the data, sources and describe the findings.
IV.
Result
If ALL of the above questions are answered “YES”, this student meets the Federal, State and Local definition
of this particular disability category. It is the “first prong” of the three step eligibility process.
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